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principle-fix-root-causes

Guides debugging by tracing symptoms to root causes instead of applying symptom-level workarounds.

1|Updated Jul 5, 2026
Search Tags:#debugging#troubleshooting#root cause analysis#logging#bug fixing#software quality#defect patterns
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/yersonargotev/packy --skill principle-fix-root-causes-yersonargotev
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: principle-fix-root-causes
Source: https://github.com/yersonargotev/packy/tree/main/bundle/skills/principle-fix-root-causes
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/yersonargotev/packy --skill principle-fix-root-causes-yersonargotev

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Debugging often produces quick symptom fixes—nil checks, guards, and workarounds—that hide the real bug and accumulate into fragile code. This Skill enforces a disciplined root-cause debugging methodology so fixes address the actual defect. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Root-Cause Tracing: Reproduce the bug first, then ask "why" repeatedly until the underlying cause is found. - Anti-Pattern Detection: Flags symptom fixes such as nil-check guards that silence crashes and paragraph-long comments justifying workarounds. - Pattern-Wide Fixes: Greps for the same defect pattern across the codebase and fixes all instances, not just the reported one. - Restart Bug Heuristic: For failures after restart, prioritizes stale persistent state (config files, caches, lock files) over code as the suspect. - Use Case: When a crash reappears after a deploy, apply this Skill to reproduce it, instrument with logging instead of guessing, and fix the actual state-validation defect rather than adding another guard. ## Quick Start Apply the fix-root-causes principle to debug this recurring crash and trace it to its root cause before writing any fix.

Frequently Asked Questions about principle-fix-root-causes

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find the root cause of a bug instead of fixing symptoms?▼

Reproduce the bug first, since an unreproducible bug cannot be verified as fixed. Then ask "why" repeatedly until you reach the underlying cause, and instrument with logging rather than guessing when stuck.

Why is adding a nil check to stop a crash considered a bad fix?▼

A nil check that silences a crash is a symptom fix: the real defect remains and the workaround makes the system harder to reason about. Trace why the value is nil and fix that origin instead.

Why does a bug only happen after restarting the application?▼

Code does not change between runs, but state does. Suspect stale persistent state first—config files, caches, lock files, or serialized state—and if clearing a state file restores behavior, prioritize state validation as the fix.

How do I make sure a bug fix covers all occurrences in the codebase?▼

Check for the pattern, not just the instance. Grep the codebase for the same defect pattern and fix every occurrence, so the same bug does not resurface elsewhere.

When is a workaround acceptable instead of a root-cause fix?▼

If a workaround needs a paragraph-long comment to justify it, the code is wrong and should be fixed instead. Symptom fixes accumulate and increase total debugging time, so root-cause fixes are preferred despite higher upfront cost.

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